War, Peace and Water: The Increasing Threat of Drought-Fuelled Conflicts

May 6, 2016 | Laura Tuck
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In the past, droughts of this severity have led to conflict and even wars between neighbouring communities and states. One of the first in recorded history erupted around 4500 years ago, when the city-state of Lagash – nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern-day Iraq – diverted water from its neighbour, Umma. Competition for water sparked violent incidents in ancient China and fuelled political instability in Pharaonic Egypt.